Chapter 10
10
“It’s so big!” I exclaimed as I looked up at the hotel with well over fifty stories.
“That’s what she said,” Grant said with a laugh.
Jong-min groaned and shook his head. “I expect it from her, but now you, too?”
“Hey!” I turned and glared at him. “You’re not supposed to be rude to me on this trip, remember?”
He shook his head. “I made no such agreement.”
As he walked by, I pinched his butt, earning a growl from him, which made me smile wide.
I stepped through the revolving doors and into the lobby of the luxurious hotel. The high ceilings and wide-open floor plan made it seem even larger than it was. There were plush carpets and elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The walls were adorned with large paintings and sculptures, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. In the center of the lobby was a large, ornate desk where a concierge was assisting a couple checking in. Behind the desk was a wall of windows that allowed natural light to flood the room, illuminating everything in a warm glow.
To my right, a group of businessmen were gathered in one of the many seating areas, discussing the day's meetings over coffee. To my right, a couple was relaxing on plush couches, cuddling together as they sipped on their drinks.
Throughout the lobby, hotel staff bustled about, attending to guests’ needs and ensuring that everything was in order. I could hear the hum of activity, the low murmur of conversations, and the gentle sounds of classical music playing softly in the background.
“Let’s hurry and check in so we can drop our suitcases off,” Reed said and walked to get in line.
He hadn’t said two words to me since the comment on the plane. I had to find a way to break the ice and get us back to where we were after our date.
I hated that I had to suck it up and act like nothing had happened when I was in pain, but it was for the best.
Skipping over to join him in line, I put my arms around his waist and squeezed. “What are we going to have for dinner?”
He looked down at me and a half smile appeared. “What would you like? There’s almost every type of food here that you could think of.”
“Um, you pick. I’ll eat anything,” I said and shrugged my shoulders.
“We can go to one of my favorite restaurants, it’s just a block away, and you’ll definitely love the food,” he said with a smile.
I leaned my head against his shoulder and tightened my grip around his waist. “Sounds great.”
It was finally our turn to check in, but instead of going with him, I walked back to the others.
“How do you feel about going to a club tonight?” Grant asked.
“A club?” I asked and looked up at him.
“Yeah, dancing and drinking.” He smirked. “The twins love clubs.”
Looking over at the scowling Jong-min, I couldn’t see it. “Um, okay.” I would love to see the twins enjoying themselves, so going to a club to get them to dance sounded super fun.
“We’re checked in,” Reed said as he rejoined us with five keycards in his hand. “Fortieth floor.”
I swallowed hard and followed them towards the elevators. “That’s … high.”
“You’ll be fine,” Jong-hyun said and slipped an arm around my waist, pulling me so our hips pressed together while we stood in the elevator.
The elevator started moving up and I inhaled sharply at the disorienting feeling. “Sharks don’t like heights that don’t involve water. You’re fine with it because cats always land on their feet.”
Jong-min chuckled behind me.
“Perhaps you just need to work on your balance then,” Jong-hyun whispered. “Do not worry, love, we will catch you if you fall.”
Would they be there to catch me if I fell if Reed left?
“What are our room arrangements?” I asked to rid myself of that thought.
“Well, we figured you would probably flit between our beds and not need your own,” Grant said. “So, we have two adjoining rooms with two beds each. Reed and I are sharing one room and the twins are sharing the other room.”
“Sounds good to me,” I replied with a wide smile.
Our rooms were really nice with a great view of the city. Being so high up gave me almost instant vertigo, though, so I didn’t get right up to the windows to look out.
I fell down onto the bed Jong-min had chosen and rolled onto my side to look out the windows they’d opened the curtains on.
He sat down beside me on the bed, silent for a bit before he finally reached over and smoothed some hair back from my face. “You’ve been awfully troubled lately. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not much to say,” I whispered back, not wanting Reed to hear. “It’s not up to me at this point.”
He ran a hand up and down my arm, soothing me a bit with his touch. The male may have been grumpy often, but I knew he truly cared for me. “We are here for you and aren’t going anywhere.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” I whispered back, tears building in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away and sat up. “How are my parents doing? You’ve been staying late to help them with more than just the restaurant, haven’t you?”
He nodded and looked down at his hands in his lap. “They are getting older, less able to complete tasks they normally would. We are helping them as much as we can.”
I set my hand on top of his. “Thank you. That’s something that’s been weighing on my mind, so I appreciate that you two have stepped up to help them. It should really be me helping them.”
“They are pushing us to complete our bonds,” Jong-hyun said. “Very pushy.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Mother never thought I’d find someone, so I think she wants to ensure she sees me fully bonded before … you know.” I didn’t want to even say it, just thinking about them not being around anymore hurt. I may not see them often, but they were always in my thoughts. I needed to go visit them more.
“They have threatened us in a variety of ways,” Jong-min said.
“Each more creative than the last,” Jong-hyun said.
“Threatened you?” I asked and looked up at them.
“They’ve heard about … his indecision and they are worried about you,” Jong-min answered.
“Please don’t let their threats sway you,” I said, eyes wide. Mother might be able to curse them, but I didn’t think she would. I hoped …
He smiled and leaned forward to rub our noses together. “Silly woman, we won’t.”
Pressing forward, I kissed him on the lips.
He responded, wrapping his arms around me as he kissed me back. His hands slid up my back, rubbing and soothing at the same time they excited me.
“Dinner time,” Reed announced as he walked into the room through the open adjoining door.
Jong-min leaned back and smiled at me. “Yes, we should feed the piranha. Her stomach is growling very loud.”
It wasn’t just my stomach that was hungry.
“Food would be good,” I said and licked my lips.
Jong-min smirked, the cocky bastard, and kissed my cheek. “Later you can have other desserts,” he said, stood, and walked towards the door.
Tease!